Seal-press.



PATENTED JAN. 30, 1906.

.Ziewba J4 1505a,

L. A. FOOTE.

SEAL PRESS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 25. 1902.

' Wag/6 NIlE S.

LEWIS A. FOOTE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOIt TO CHICAGO OAR SEAL &MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A COR- PORATION OFILLINOIS.

SEAL-PRESS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 30, 1906.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, Lnwrs A. Foo'rn, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Seal-Presses, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My .invention relates to improvements in seal-presses for use moreespecially in riveting or looking together the ends of a car-sealingshackle and impressing symbols or the like upon the rivet-heads orlooking material.

My object is to provide a seal-press of an improved construction whichwill insure the making of a clear impression of the symbol or the likeupon the riveting or looking material or shackle in each operation andwhich will be particularly strong, durable, and desirable for use as ahand. seal-press. Sealpresses of this class are used extensively byrailway employees for sealing cars, and being subject in many cases tohard. usage and throwing about it is necessary that any parts thereofwhich might be injured should be well protected.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of a seal-press of myimproved. construction, showing it in the operation of sealing the endsof a shacklestrip; Fig. 2, a broken longitudinal section through thehead portion of the device, and Figs. 3 and 4 enlarged perspective viewsof details of the construction.

A is the stock or main handle portion of my improved seal-press,terminating in the head B. In the forward side of the head is apocketabetween side walls or guards b 7), provided with shacklereceiving and holding guide-slots c of a width corresponding with thedepth of the pocket a. Fitted in the base of the head B at the center ofthe pocket a is a base-die O, the top of which is in a plane just belowthe plane of the guide-slots c. In the head portion above the pocket oris aguide-opening d for a die-plunger D, which moves up and down insaid. guide-opening. In the rear side of the die-plunger are serra tionsa, forming a ratchet, the teeth of which present abrupt shoulders attheir upper sides,

as shown, and in the upper part of the dieplunger on its rear side is asocket to receive the end of a leaf-spring g,fastene as shown, upon thestock A. In the head and stock portion just above the guide-slots c is asocket h, in which works a spring-actuated plunger or dog 'i, adapted atits outer end to engage the ratchet e and hold the die-plunger againstupward movement. The spring 9 tends norrnally to raise the die-plunger.The socket it crosses a guide-opening 7c in the stock portion at thehead and extends parallel with the guide-opening d. The (loge is formedwith a ratchet engaging head portion i rear cylindrical body portion iand intermediate reduced neck portion '11". On the body portion atopposite sides of the neck portion are cams i i. The dog crosses theguide-opening is at its neck portion "5 E is a sliding dog-releasercomprising a stirrup portion Z and parallel fingers Z, recessed on theirrear sides to present cams 1 above which are straight surfaces Z Thefinger portion Z fits in the guide-opening 7c and straddles the neck '5of the. dog. The spring 9 passes through the stirrup portion Z, and thecams i of the dog rest in the fingerrecesses beneath the cams Z Onopposite sides of the head B are upwarcbextending ears m m, perforatedto receive a pin a, on which is fulcrumed a leverhandle F. The headportion of the lever or handle F near its fulcrum is formed with a camp, terminating at the end of the lever in a lip 13 and at its other endterminating in a strikin g-surface p In operation the device is openedby raising the handle or lever F to the position shown in Fig. 2, andboth ends of the shackle X to be sealed are passed, as shown in Fig. 1,into the guide-openings 0, whereby the rivet or the like will registerbetween the base-die and the dieplunger. The sealing or lookingoperation is performed by pressing the handle F downward, causing thecam 19 to press upon the upper end. of the die-plunger and force itdownward. As the die-plunger descends the teeth of the ratchet slideover the dog; but the latter by engagement with the ratchet preventsrise of the die-plunger in the event that pressure is relieved upon thehandle F. As the die-plunger nears the point of lowest descent, wherein.it will complete a perfectimpression upon the material between it andthe base-die, the surface 72 of the handle F engages the top of thestirrup l and forces the part E downward, whereby the cams Z engage thecams i on the dog and press the latter backward to disengage the dogfrom the ratchet. When the cams Z have passed the cams i the latter bearagainst the straight surfaces Z of the fingers Z. This disengagement ofthe dog and ratchet permits the die-plunger when the handle F is raisedto rise to the position shown in Fig. 2 under the action of the springg. As the spring 9 nears the upper limit of its rise it engages theunder side of the top bar of the stirrup Z and raises the piece E untilthe cams Z engage the cams i*, when the resilience of the spring-dogwill spring the piece E upward to the position shown in Fig. 2 and thedog will engage the ratchet c.

It will be seen from the above descri tion that the die-plunger will notrise until a ter it has been pressed downward to a position wherein itmakes a perfect impression upon the seal, and it cannot be disengagedfrom the seal before this impression has been made. The handle F is atall times free to swing upon its pivot n irrespective of the position ofthe die-plunger. This will prevent the operator from removing the devicefrom the seal before a perfect impression is made by wrenching thehandles apart, as has fre-' quently happened with the seal-presseshitherto employed. The part E, dog t, and spring 9 are all housed andwill not be injured by the throwing about of the implement.

While I prefer to construct my improved die-press throughout as shownand described,

it may be variously modified in the matter of details of constructionwithout departing from the spirit of my invention as defined by theclaims.

It is considered, broadly, novel to provide means for insuring completemovements of the dies comprising a set of ratchet-teeth and a pawl, oneof which reciprocates with the reciprocating die and the other of whichis arranged at one side of the guide for the reciprocating die.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a seal-press, the combination of a stock, a chambered head uponthe stock, a die-plunger movable in said head, a die-plunger-operatinglever fulcrumed upon said head, a die-plunger-retracting spring, aratchet on the die-plunger, a dog operating normally to engage saidratchet, and a movable dog-releaser actuated, in the approach of thedie-plunger to its position of final impressment, to disengage the dogfrom said ratchet, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a seal-press, the combination of a stock, a chambered head uponthe stock, a die-plunger movable in said head, a die-plunger-operatinglever fulcrumed upon said head, a die-plunger-retracting spring, aratchet on the die-plunger, a dog operating normally to engage saidratchet, and a movable dog-releaser actuated, in the approach of thedie-plunger to its position of final impressment, to disengage the dogfrom said ratchet, the said lever being movable independently of thedie-plunger when the same is held by engagement of the dog with theratchet, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a seal-press, the combination of a stock, a chambered head uponthe stock, a die-plunger movable in said head, a die-plunger-operatinglever fulcrumed upon said head, a die-plunger-retracting spring, aratchet on the die-plunger, a dog operating normally to engage saidratchet, and a movable dog-releaser in the path of said spring actuated,in the approach of the die-plunger to its final position of impressment,to disengage the dog from said ratchet, and actuated by the spring inthe final movement of the die-plunger toward its retracted position torelease said dog, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. In a sealpress, the combination of a stock, a chambered head upon thestock, a die-plunger movable in said head, a plunger operating leverfulcrumed upon said head, a die-plunger-retracting spring, a ratchet onthe die-plunger, a dog operating normally to engage said ratchet, and amovable dog-re-' leaser in the path of said lever and actuated therebyin the approach of the die-plunger to its position of final impressment,to disen gage the dog from said ratchet, substantially as and for thepurpose set forth. I

5. In a seal-press, the combination of a stock, a chambered head uponthe stock, a die -plunger movable in said head, a dieplunger-operatinglever fulcrumed upon said head, a die-plunger-retracting spring, aratchet on the die-plunger, a dog operating normally to engage saidratchet, and a movable dog-releaser in the paths of said lever and saidspring, actuated by said lever in the approach of the die-plunger to itsposition of final impressment, to disengage the dog from said ratchet,and actuated by said spring in the final movement of said die-plungertoward the extreme retracted position to release said dog, substantiallyas and for the purpose set forth.

6. A seal-press having a reciprocable die I provided directly with aratchet device for insuring complete movements of the die, incombination with a pawl engaging said ratchet device.

7. A seal-press having a reciprocable die provided with a ratchet devicewhich moves reciprocatingly with the die, in combination with aspring-held pawl engaging said ratchet device, and a relatively fixedsupport for said pawl.

8. A seal-press having a reciprocable die provided with a plurality ofratchet-teeth ar- IIO ranged parallel with a side of the die andreciprocatingly carried with the die, said teeth permitting the pawl toslip over them in the closing operation of the press, a pawl engagingsaid teeth to prevent return of said die before the pressing operationis completed, and means whereby the pawl is released to permit the dieto return to its normally open position, for the purpose set forth.

9. A seal-press comprising a lever equipped with a head provided at itsbase with a fixed die and above said die with a with a fixed die andprovided above said die with a guide for a reciprocating die and in therear of said guide with a pawl-receiving recess, a lever pivotallyjoined to the upper portion of said head and provided with adieactuating cam, a spring tending to hold the dies normally separated,a reciprocable die moving in said guide, a series of ratchet-teethmoving reciprooatingly with the reciprocable die and located adjacent tosaid recess, a pawl confined in said recess and engaging saidratchet-teeth, and a spring having a bearing in said head and serving tohold the pawl in engagement with the ratchet-teeth.

11. In a ratchet seal-press, the combination with the body of the press,and with a reciprocating die movable within said body, and with acam-carrying lever-handle and a retracting-spring for reciprocating saiddie, of improved means for insuring complete movements of said. die,said means consisting of a ratchet device movable lengthwise with saiddie and a pawl having a relatively fixed support in said body of thepress.

12. A seal-press comprising a lever carrying a head provided with afixed die and with a guide for a reciprocable die, a lever pivoted tosaid head and provided with a die-actuating cam, a reciprocable diewithin said guide actuated by said cam, a spring tending to retract saidreciprocable die, ratchet-teeth moving reciprocatingly with saidreciprocable die, a pawl located in a recess in said. head adj acent tosaid ratchetteeth, and a spring having a bearing in said head andserving to hold said pawl in engagement with said ratchetteeth.

13. A seal-presscomprising a lever carrying a head provided with a fixeddie and with a guide for a reciprocable die, a lever pivoted to saidhead and provided with a die-actuat ing cam, a reciprocable die withinsaid guide actuated by said cam, a spring tending to retract saidreciprocable die, and means for insuring complete movements of thereciprocable die, comprising a set of ratchet-teeth and a pawl engagingthe same, one of which reciprocates with the die and the other of whichis arranged at one side of said guide, said pawl being releasable whenthe dies are closed, for thepurpose set forth.

LEWIS A. FOOTE.

In presence of WM. B. DAVIES, ALBERT D. BAOOL

